Chapter: 25*****The death scream from the man hung upside down echoed through the stale room, his tears and blood mixing with the pools beneath his head. Whatever had made him think that yelling for an hour straight could get him out of this predicament baffled Kaidën, who stood by the rusty door, his madness simmering just below the surface. Normally, he didn't enjoy playing with his kills, but today was different – he was excessively enraged. Three weeks had passed since he last heard from Asher.Initially, he had thought that getting married to Carla would somehow bind Asher to him. "That's what you get when you don't think before you act!" Kaidën snapped at himself, his reflection staring back at him from the mirror, its surface splitting him into two people."I wanted his attention, his possession!" Kaidën's anger boiled over, and he punched the mirror, his fist cracking the center, causing the reflection to shatter into multiple fragments.Kaidën began to pace the narrow hallw
Chapter: 26*****Kaidën stood over the droplets of blood on the ground. He went down on his knees and, with a swipe of his middle finger, scooped up his mother's blood. He used his thumb to smear the blood over his other fingers; it was warm, sticky, and smelled like melted iron. He repeated this action a couple more times before he heard a sudden click from the front door. Knowing who it was, he made a run for it, but his father had seen him and chased after him."Come back here, you little piece of shit!" he shouted from behind. Kaidën took the stairs two at a time, but for some reason, the stairs appeared longer than he remembered, and his bedroom seemed to have stretched farther away. His heart thundered loudly in his chest, his eyes grew moist with unshed tears, his limbs trembled and numbed with fear, and his lungs constricted from lack of air. He hadn't been breathing.A hand clasped around his shoulder and spun him around. Kaidën turned and stood face-to-face with his father.
Chapter: 27*****Kaidën parked his vehicle at the entrance to the park, as there was no road for cars to drive on. He made the rest of the walk down the park, and the area brought back memories as he walked along the broken wooden bridge until the little shed came into view. The shed was dilapidated and nearly falling apart. How it was still standing felt like a miracle.The door to the shed was open, and inside, Kaidën found a small sleeping bag and a tear-stained bear he recognized all too well. But there was no Asher. He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out his tranquilizer, the same he would often use on Emily. He needed to make sure he knocked Asher cold and carried him back. Asher was living like a homeless boy once again, just like back then.There's only one explanation for why Asher was here and that…"Who are you?"Kaidën whipped around so fast his vision blurred, and when his eyes landed on the cold greens of the man, his breath caught in his throat. But a part of
Chapter: 28 ***** The night he crawled back into the closet changed him. Once again, he knew he had lost that which had drawn closer to his heart. Since Emily, he had made sure to keep that part of himself secured so that he wouldn't have to suffer the loss of another person he had grown fond of and cared for. He thought Kaidën was different, thought what they were starting to develop for one another was precious. He had even gone as far as chaining him up, only to return and find him gone. Once morning came, he crawled out of the closet, seeming to forget all about the previous night. He arrived at work, forgetting that he had requested a leave. Although the captain had made him work the night before, she didn't seem to mind when he arrived at the station that morning, bright and warm as if nothing had happened. Both he and his partner had even gone on a rescue mission and had returned hours later with a child whom he now cradled in his arms. The girl, no older than six, curled i
CHAPTER:29*****It was a cold and stormy night. Rain lashed against the windows with unrelenting force, while inside, the air remained warm. Asher and Emily giggled softly, huddled together in their small, dimly lit room, perched on the bed that Asher had outgrown. Their moment of solace was abruptly shattered by a sudden, thunderous bang on the door.Before Asher could hide Emily, the door swung open with a crash. An imposing figure stumbled inside, reeking of alcohol and rain. Asher froze, his body stiff with fear as he instinctively placed himself in front of his sister, who clung to his shirt for safety. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. He had hoped to keep Emily hidden, but now there was no time—no escape.“You insolent children!” the man bellowed, his voice slurred and thick with rage. His unsteady frame lurched forward, rainwater dripping from his soaked clothes onto the wooden floor. “Your father isn't home, and all you can do is laugh? What's so damn funny?”Neither of
Chapter: 30******Having decided to drive down to the seaside mansion, Kaidën groaned as he got out of the vehicle and swiftly made his way to the back door. Soon after, he had Nox cradled calmly in his arms as he carried him inside. The mansion was dark, save for the chandelier that hung with a dim glow. Although he hadn’t been here in a long time, Kaidën knew his way around. This was a place he often came to escape the chaos of his regular life. Here, listening to the sound of the sea, often served as a balm for his aching heart.It was also the first gift given to him by Father, right after he completed his program at the Belly of the Beast.The thought made him groan again as he kicked open the bedroom door and entered. Gently, he laid Nox down and leaned forward to watch his sleeping features, so peaceful and carefree. Kaidën pressed his lips to Nox's forehead, then tucked him under the covers before turning away and exiting the bedroom. He secured the front door with a passcode
Chapter: 31*****Kaidën jolted awake, an icy cascade of water drenching him in an instant. His heart raced as the cold clung to his skin like a shockwave. Disoriented, he blinked away the remnants of sleep, shivering as he wrestled with lingering dreams that faded into the dark corners of his mind. The clamor of a loudspeaker cut through the morning chill, a mechanical voice barking orders that made his blood run even colder.“Get up! Outside! Now!”With panic gripping him, he scrambled off the cot, his soaked clothes feeling like a second skin. The air was frigid, biting into his exposed flesh as he stumbled through the narrow, dimly lit corridors of the camp. The sharp crunch of frost underfoot signaled the change in weather; snowflakes swirled lazily as Kaidën burst through the heavy door, propelled by disorientation and unsettled dreams.The vast open field sprawled before him, white and blinding under the low morning sun. Just yesterday, it had been a warm, unforgiving landscape
Chapter: 32*****With renewed fury, the boy charged, wielding the axe like a seasoned fighter. Kaidën met him head-on, ducking and weaving as he danced around the swings that came harder and faster. Each strike resonated with the energy of countless battles—they were fighting not just for survival but for dominance.Suddenly, Kaidën found himself on the defensive, barely dodging the lethal swipes of the axe. He felt the icy sting of fear creeping in; sweat dripped down the side of his face, mixing with the cold and the chaos around him. The boy advanced relentlessly, his aggression evident. Kaidën retaliated with a series of swift cuts, each one narrowly missing its mark as the boy twisted and ducked beneath them.Just how many people has this boy killed to be this good? Kaidën wondered. As far as he knew, he might just be the toughest opponent the boy had ever faced.Breathing heavily, anxiety simmering beneath the surface, Kaidën realized that he needed to end this. The boy’s focus
Chapter: 38*****“You've lost him, and this time, there is no coming back from this one,” the mirror taunted, and Kaidën groaned, his fingers bleeding as he pressed against the cracked surface.“He hates you, just like Mom and Dad did,” the voice of his younger self slithered through, urging Kaidën to push against the mirror.Why does he end up replacing these mirrors each time? He kept leaning into this torment like it was his salvation? Did he enjoy this torture? The way they taunted and haunted him? Was this his own version of hell?“There is nothing left for you, Kaidën. You should walk away… he will never remember who you are, nor will he ever return the feelings your damned soul holds for him,” they continued.Asher couldn't bear it anymore. The scent of blood had grown stronger, both from the bruises he had inflicted on Kaidën and those he was now inflicting on himself. His head began to ache once more, painfully replaying Emily’s cries as they dragged her away, the way she ha
Chapter: 37 ****** “Welcome back, my heart,” Kaidën smiled when he recognized the familiar eyes staring back at him. The hatred and disgust were evident; clearly, he wasn't the one Asher wanted to see, not by a long shot. “You've been gone a while,” he attempted to say, pushing himself off the wall and striding smoothly toward Asher, who remained silent and unmoving. Once he was close enough, Kaidën placed a hand on Asher’s cheek and gently caressed his face. Asher's tense muscles relaxed slightly, but then he recoiled from Kaidën’s touch as if fire had erupted from where his fingers grazed. “What am I doing here with you?” Asher demanded, a sudden bitterness in his voice. Kaidën observed him, noting how he clenched and unclenched his fists, as if debating whether to beat Kaidën into the ground or push his way out of wherever they were. “I brought you somewhere safe. You were back there in the old shed; I had to bring you home,” Kaidën finally replied, a rip starting to tear with
Chapter: 36 ***** Years later, Kaidën saw him again. This time, he was homeless, sleeping on the streets. His father hadn’t been locked up in jail for long for the murder of his wife; because her body was never found, and whatever had happened didn’t matter much to Kaidën. As soon as he left the camp, he sought Asher out once more, this time as a man on a mission: to find Asher, to keep him, to protect him. Kaidën would do anything for him. Kaidën secured a flyer and laid it out where Asher would stumble upon it the next morning, and he did. Kaidën looked after him, kept him safe, and even went so far as to keep an eye on his sister. During a brief visit to Father, while taking a break from the hellish camp, Nine took him to an auction. There, he spotted the small, frightened girl. The birthmark on her neck was unforgettable, identical to the one on his Heart's. Elis noticed him shift in his chair and tried to stop him, but Kaidën wouldn’t give up. He rose from his seat, leap
Chapter: 35 ******* That night, the clouds gathered as if to mourn with the boy who had just lost his sister, the one reason he had endured this torturous world at the hands of cruel people. Night after night, he sat with sagging shoulders hunched over the little picket fence, tears streaming down his face, blending seamlessly with the rain droplets as he cried with the clouds. It ached Kaidën’s heart to watch him suffer in this way. If he must cry, then it should be him who made Asher cry—not them, and certainly not over Emily. Kaidën knew that Asher loved his sister; after all, she was his family, the only one who didn’t hate him, who didn’t beat him, the one who didn’t starve him. From the very first day Kaidën had set his eyes on Asher, hugging his sister tightly in that little shed, he knew his life had altered forever. Asher had invaded his heart without even knowing it, pushing away all the ache, all the pain, the years of fear and torment, and then Asher had gone and settle
Chapter: 34*****The salty air of the harbor felt heavy against Kaidën's skin as he approached his private boat, the sleek vessel glinting under the waning sun. Waves lapped gently at the hull, but the atmosphere felt charged, with something sickening. Ross, his bodyguard, the one idiot who was meant to look after Nox, instead dared to call to inform him that he had knocked his Heart out cold. Ross paced back and forth on the deck, his brow furrowed, eyes darting nervously as if expecting an unseen predator to pounce.Kaidën's face was a mask of calm, betraying nothing of the storm brewing within. He climbed aboard, his boots thudding softly against the polished wood. The boat smelled of leather and the faint, salty tang of the ocean. But something foul lingered beneath, a reminder of chaos that had unfolded just hours before.There was a clear sign of struggle. Knowing Nox, he must have put up the fight of a lifetime, still, Ross had no reason to lay hands on Nox.As he stepped furt
Chapter: 33 ***** Tonight would be no quiet night, he knew, but the voices refused to silence. They taunted him, pushing him to the edge, driving him to madness. "Stop fighting it!" they sneered. He winced, their venomous words seeping into his veins like a snake's bite, poisoning his last shred of control and unleashing chaos. Kaidën groaned, turning toward the shattered mirror, its broken pieces mocking him on the dirty floor. "You can't even keep him safe!" they jeered. He groaned again, turning away. "Lies!" he retorted, his hand clenched around a knife, the blade digging into his palm. Blood spilled, droplets rolling off the self-inflicted cut, slowly falling into the dirt. "I will keep him safe!" he seethed, his breathing ragged, eyes darkening. "He's mine to protect; I won't let any harm come to him!" The voices erupted into laughter, their mocking tones piercing his ears like a bluster of jingling bells. "If that were true," they echoed, "why do you keep letting F
Chapter: 32*****With renewed fury, the boy charged, wielding the axe like a seasoned fighter. Kaidën met him head-on, ducking and weaving as he danced around the swings that came harder and faster. Each strike resonated with the energy of countless battles—they were fighting not just for survival but for dominance.Suddenly, Kaidën found himself on the defensive, barely dodging the lethal swipes of the axe. He felt the icy sting of fear creeping in; sweat dripped down the side of his face, mixing with the cold and the chaos around him. The boy advanced relentlessly, his aggression evident. Kaidën retaliated with a series of swift cuts, each one narrowly missing its mark as the boy twisted and ducked beneath them.Just how many people has this boy killed to be this good? Kaidën wondered. As far as he knew, he might just be the toughest opponent the boy had ever faced.Breathing heavily, anxiety simmering beneath the surface, Kaidën realized that he needed to end this. The boy’s focus
Chapter: 31*****Kaidën jolted awake, an icy cascade of water drenching him in an instant. His heart raced as the cold clung to his skin like a shockwave. Disoriented, he blinked away the remnants of sleep, shivering as he wrestled with lingering dreams that faded into the dark corners of his mind. The clamor of a loudspeaker cut through the morning chill, a mechanical voice barking orders that made his blood run even colder.“Get up! Outside! Now!”With panic gripping him, he scrambled off the cot, his soaked clothes feeling like a second skin. The air was frigid, biting into his exposed flesh as he stumbled through the narrow, dimly lit corridors of the camp. The sharp crunch of frost underfoot signaled the change in weather; snowflakes swirled lazily as Kaidën burst through the heavy door, propelled by disorientation and unsettled dreams.The vast open field sprawled before him, white and blinding under the low morning sun. Just yesterday, it had been a warm, unforgiving landscape
Chapter: 30******Having decided to drive down to the seaside mansion, Kaidën groaned as he got out of the vehicle and swiftly made his way to the back door. Soon after, he had Nox cradled calmly in his arms as he carried him inside. The mansion was dark, save for the chandelier that hung with a dim glow. Although he hadn’t been here in a long time, Kaidën knew his way around. This was a place he often came to escape the chaos of his regular life. Here, listening to the sound of the sea, often served as a balm for his aching heart.It was also the first gift given to him by Father, right after he completed his program at the Belly of the Beast.The thought made him groan again as he kicked open the bedroom door and entered. Gently, he laid Nox down and leaned forward to watch his sleeping features, so peaceful and carefree. Kaidën pressed his lips to Nox's forehead, then tucked him under the covers before turning away and exiting the bedroom. He secured the front door with a passcode